New to Wii U? Learn more about your new console!

05/02/2014

Welcome to Wii U! Our latest home console has so much to offer players of all ages and abilities, including imaginative games, streaming video, an intuitive web browser and much more. Read on to learn how to get the most out of your new console.

Get connected!

Connecting your Wii U console to the Internet opens up a world of fantastic online features. Share your screenshots and thoughts with other players around the world on Miiverse, download free demos and innovative software from Nintendo eShop, browse the web, and much more!

Once your Wii U is hooked up to the Internet, you’ll also be able to add new features and services released via system updates, as well as opt-in to automatically receive free software, keeping your gaming experience fresh and up-to-date.

Connect to Club Nintendo

By registering your Wii U with Club Nintendo, you can earn Stars for the console itself, select software purchased from Nintendo eShop, and packaged software that includes a product registration card. These Stars can then be exchanged for cool exclusive rewards in the Stars Catalogue – check out a few examples of previous rewards below!

Luigi's Mansion 2 diorama

NES Classic notebook

Mario Kart 7 Trophy – Lightning

Discover free trials

Head to Nintendo eShop to download free trials of great games you’ll only find on Wii U!

Turn your living room into a tennis court, bowling alley or golf course with Wii Sports Club and try out all the available sports – golf, bowling, and tennis – for 24 hours* with a free Day Pass. That’s not all – you’ll also receive another free Day Pass when baseball and boxing are released later this year! Learn all about the online play, enhanced Wii Remote Plus controls, brand new training games and much more at the Wii Sports Club website.

If singing is more your thing, be sure to give Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND a spin! Dress up your Mii character and take to the stage to sing your heart out to an ever-growing catalogue of over 1,500 songs. The game is free to download, and there’s even a free 1-hour Ticket** available so you can try it out for free. Certain Wii U hardware packs, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Premium Pack or the Wii Party U Basic Pack, even come with a 7-day Ticket, so if you picked one up you can keep the party going even longer! Browse the song catalogue and learn more about the game over at the Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND website.

Get your game on

With so many games on offer, Wii U really does have something everyone can enjoy. Get the family together for house party hilarity with Wii Party U, take on the first 3D multiplayer Super Mario game in SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD, and many more! Plus with big titles on the way like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2 and more, the catalogue is set to grow even bigger in 2014 and beyond. To discover the best of what’s out now and what’s on the way in the future, head over to our Wii U Games section, or check out the trailer below.

Video: 2013-2014 Nintendo Line-Up for Wii U

All you need to know to get started, right here

If you’ve made the leap from Wii to Wii U, you can transfer your old save data and downloaded games across to your new console. That means you can keep playing your favourite games like Mario Kart Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and many more, right from where you left off on Wii. You can even use your existing Wii controllers on Wii U, and play your favourites without the TV by displaying them on the Wii U GamePad***. Learn more over at our Backwards compatibility section. And, just like on Wii, you can use Parental Controls to make sure everyone can access only the content that’s appropriate to them. For more information, visit our Parental Controls Support section.

For more information about Wii U, its range of great games and how its unique features create a playing experience like no other, be sure to visit our Wii U website.

*Only one free Day Pass per Wii U console is available. The 24-hour trial period begins when the software is started for the first time. Internet connection is required during play to use the Day Pass. The registration of Nintendo Network ID and acceptance of the Nintendo Network Agreement and Privacy Policy are required.

**Only one free 1-hour trial Ticket per Wii U console is available. To take advantage of your free 1-hour trial Ticket you must activate it before you purchase or redeem any other Tickets. To commence your trial, head to Nintendo eShop via the in-game “Ticket Purchase” button and select the free Ticket there.

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